ALMOST DONE!!!

It is that time of the year! The semester is coming to an end and I cannot wait to take a break. Probably because of my crazy schedule, the feelings of being overwhelmed, exhausted, and done with the world hit me much sooner than I expected. Already before Thanksgiving, I was ready to jump on a plane and to fly back to Germany, where I would not have to care about working on assignments, in the office, or at my internship site. The thought of just staying in bed all day, walking around in my pajamas, and having my mother and my sister cook for me (they enjoy cooking, I enjoy eating…perfect match!) sounds like paradise.

Don’t get me wrong. I love studying at Columbia! I enjoy the classes and highly appreciate what I learn from my professors and my peers. I enjoy working in the Office of International Student Affairs, where I have awesome coworkers and the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and with diverse cultural backgrounds [and most of the time there is delicious free food]. I also enjoy my work as the graduate ambassador, talking to prospective students and writing this blog. And finally, I love working at my internship site, hanging out with my clients, and see the change that I can facilitate in them. However, as much as I love doing all those things, I believe that sometimes you have to step back from the things you love to be able to continue loving them [shouting out “burnout” and “compassion fatigue” for all psychology nerds ;) ]!

Step back, breath in, breath out, move forward.

Of course, I cannot just hop on a plane and fly to Germany. I also can’t step back from the work I am doing in class, at my office, or at my internship site. I am needed in all those places. So I promised myself that for the next 3 weeks (or 19 days), I will do the best I can do on each day. “The best” I can give on one day might look really different from “the best” I can give the next day, but at least I can say that I did not give up and that I put my heart into it. Coming to this awareness was not easy. I am a perfectionist so I am holding on to the idea that there is a “perfect”, even if all of my experiences have taught me that there is no “perfection” in this world. It is just one of those vague words we use, such as “normal”, and how these words are interpreted differentiates greatly between people and cultures. Therefore, trying my “best” might be the thing that makes it “perfect”!? At the same time I want to stay true to myself and acknowledge my current condition. I am aware that I cannot just ignore my feelings of exhaustion and being overwhelmed, but by being mindful and aware of those feelings, I can do the things I love while taking care of myself.

Do the best you can do and be the best you can be in any situation!